Premier International Tours 2025 RECAP

Another year has gone by — and it has been an eventful one! We would like to share some updates and news about our organization and international travel. In this newsletter, you will find updates on the following topics:

This summer was nothing short of extraordinary for Premier International Tours — our biggest and most successful season yet! With more groups choosing to travel with us than ever before, and customer satisfaction reaching record highs, it’s clear that the world of international sports travel has never been more exciting. None of this would have been possible without the passion of our players and coaches, the trust of our partners, and the hard work of our dedicated staff. Together, we’ve made 2025 truly unforgettable!

United Soccer Coaches Convention

We are excited to attend this convention once again. The 2026 convention will take place in Philadelphia from January 14–18, 2026. Some of our staff from Europe and South America will be joining us again this year. United Soccer Coaches has upgraded our booth location to Hall A, where both demo fields are located. Our booth number is A1803—you’ll find us immediately on the right-hand side as you enter Hall A.

KNVB Coaches Education Tours – additional free trip for our valued customers:

Each year, we offer a complimentary 5-day international coaches tour to all our customers and partners as a thank-you for their continued support and as part of our commitment to giving back and helping grow the game in the United States. In 2026, the tour will take place March 19–23 at the KNVB headquarters in the Netherlands. More than 50 coaches from across the U.S. will participate in this unique experience. Coaches will stay in Zeist, at the hotel used by the Dutch National Teams, located directly next to the KNVB headquarters.

The KNVB has prepared a state-of-the-art soccer education program, featuring classroom sessions led by top KNVB staff, as well as visits to two of the Netherlands’ leading clubs: AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord. Feyenoord’s academy continues to thrive, with multiple age groups consistently winning titles, performing strongly in national competitions, and competing successfully in European youth tournaments—demonstrating a powerful pipeline of elite talent. AZ Alkmaar is widely regarded as having one of the best youth academies in the Netherlands, with 65% of its first team composed of academy graduates and 50% of first-team minutes played by former youth players. AZ also won the UEFA Youth League in 2023 and reached the semifinals in 2025.

One of the absolute highlights of the tour will be attending the legendary “Dutch El Clásico”: Feyenoord vs. Ajax.

USA Soccer cutoff date

This upcoming season U.S. Soccer will implement the new age cutoff change from January 1 to August 1. The help and assist our loyal customers better we negotiated the following dispensation rule with many of the international tournaments: Due to differences in age-group cut-off dates across competitions, automatic age dispensation will be granted to players on USA teams who were born on or after August 1 of the previous age-category year. Example: If the tournament age category is players born on or after January 1, 2012, then players born between August 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 will automatically receive dispensation. Please contact us if you need more information about this new dispensation rule.

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System)

This is a new digital travel authorization required for visa-exempt nationals (like U.S. citizens) visiting 30 European countries for short stays, acting as a pre-screening system to enhance security by linking to your passport and checking against databases before you travel, similar to the U.S. ESTA, and is expected to launch in late 2026. It's not a visa, but a requirement for short-term tourism, business, or medical visits, processed online with a fee, and is valid for three years or until your passport expires. So, if you're planning a trip to Europe sometime in late 2026 or beyond, now’s the perfect time to get familiar with the new ETIAS travel authorization. The process is simple—but essential—to ensure your entry into the Schengen Area goes smoothly. More information cab be found at click here.

With this e-mail we would like to wish you and your family all the best for the upcoming Holiday Season and a prosperous 2026!